Apparel – Body garments – Shirts
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-17
2001-05-15
Calvert, John J. (Department: 3741)
Apparel
Body garments
Shirts
Reexamination Certificate
active
06230329
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Continuing improvements in health care, lifestyles, and public and occupational safety are increasing the longevity of individuals. These factors, plus the advancing age of the “baby boom” generation, are combining to create a rapidly growing aged population with attendant massive increases in the health care needs of that population. A proportionate share of the resulting health care needs are those of persons who, for various reasons, require physical assistance in moving.
Any person, and especially an aged one, who requires physical assistance to move presents a difficult problem for caregivers. A bedridden patient may need to be turned frequently or shifted in bed. Regular assistance in moving from the bed to a chair may also be required, as well as assistance in standing and walking, and helping the patient in the use of a bathroom commode. The skin of an aged person can be very fragile and tender, and easily subject to superficial trauma such as bruising. Discomfort and trauma may result not only from the physical contact required for a caregiver to assist an invalid in moving, but additionally from the localized pressure on the invalid's body where there is contact with structural features of conventional implements or garments intended to facilitate the moving chore. Bed sores may result if a bedridden patient is not turned often enough due to the difficulty of the chore. Without proper assistance, injuries from falls, bone fractures for example, will occur more frequently. An aged invalid may often be so completely unable to self-motivate that moving them is essentially a chore of moving a mass of dead weight that is simultaneously limp, bulky and fragile.
Caregivers also risk physical injury in performing the lifting required to assist invalids. The invalid may be limp and unresponsive, or agitated and uncooperative, or merely independent enough that the invalid and the caregiver are working at cross purposes. Any of these factors, and others, can complicate the caregiver's chore and increase the risk of injury.
Of course, those requiring physical assistance in moving are not limited to the aged. Invalids are found in every population age group. Moreover, those filling the role of caregiver are not limited to nursing home staff. In the home care environment, the primary caregiver may often be a family member who is not well trained or experienced in techniques for physically assisting an invalid.
For these among many other reasons, various devices have been proposed to provide improved ease, safety and comfort for both patient and caregiver in performing necessary patient moving chores. For example, the following patents disclose a variety of such devices: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,449,253, 5,647,378, 5,361,418, 5,369,804, 5,542,123, 5,514,019, 5,546,602, and 3,562,812.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention contemplates a garment to be worn by any person requiring physical assistance in moving. The garment, which is worn over the clothing, is made from a light weight, preferably non-stretching fabric, and is preferably configured to enclose the torso of the wearer in form-fitting fashion. Handholds located at selected positions on the garment permit a caregiver to easily grip the garment and to apply the necessary force for moving or shifting the wearer. The caregiver thus can perform the moving chore without having to grasp and pull the patient's arms, legs, shoulders or hips. The garment is structured to distribute forces, which result from the caregiver performing the moving chore through use of the handholds, over an enlarged area of the wearer's body, thereby avoiding localized force concentrations on the body and minimizing bruising, abrasion and other modes of localized trauma that can lead to wearer discomfort.
The invention can contribute in many positive ways to a user's well being. It provides improved ease, safety and control for both patient and caregiver, and abates the incidence of injury to both. Patient fear can be alleviated. The incidence of bruising, fractures, bed sores and pneumonia can be reduced. Patient circulation, mood, outlook and overall well being can be improved. For the caregiver, the invention saves time and space, and offers improved control, balance and confidence in managing the invalid. In many cases the invention may eliminate the need for an adjustable hospital bed. Moreover, institutional placement can be delayed or eliminated if patient assistance in moving is a significant barrier to home care. This can result in significant savings to insurance providers and government medical plans, thus offering the prospect of reduced costs to premium payers and taxpayers.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a novel and improved garment for facilitating the rendering of physical assistance to the wearer.
Another object of the invention is to provide such a garment with handholds for facilitating such physical assistance.
A further object of the invention is to provide such a garment which minimizes both wearer discomfort and the caregiver's risk of injury in the process of rendering physical assistance to the wearer.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1050934 (1913-01-01), Fanta
patent: 1805766 (1931-05-01), Groves
patent: 2067870 (1937-01-01), Blackwell
patent: 3564616 (1971-02-01), Battaglia
patent: 3997921 (1976-12-01), Knight
patent: 4396013 (1983-08-01), Hasslinger
patent: 4429419 (1984-02-01), Snyder
patent: 4599750 (1986-07-01), Rahaman
patent: 4625334 (1986-12-01), Proffer
patent: 5048122 (1991-09-01), Prieur
patent: 5065773 (1991-11-01), Jackson et al.
patent: 5619751 (1997-04-01), Ray et al.
patent: 5718189 (1998-02-01), Blake
patent: 5799328 (1998-09-01), Harlem et al.
patent: 5926846 (1999-07-01), Segal
patent: 6058513 (2000-05-01), Simmons et al.
Brams J. Stewart
Calvert John J.
Hoey Alissa L.
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